Industrial output revised downward

Industrial output actually grew a seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent instead of 1.0 in January, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a revision Thursday.

Despite the downward revision, the 0.3 reading still represents a second consecutive month of growth from the previous year, as makers of transport equipment and other sectors turned in firm showings.

But the rise was trimmed largely due to data on medical goods, which were not available when the preliminary report was issued Feb. 28, a METI official said.

The index of output at factories and mines came to 89.1 against the base of 100 for 2005, while the index of industrial shipments was also revised downward, posting a fall of 0.3 percent against an initially reported rise of 0.1 percent.